The Arnold Press

FORM FRIDAY

Importance: It is important to work all muscles in different planes of motion, including your shoulders, and this exercise will do just that! The Arnold Press is a more dynamic exercise than a traditional overhead press, activating more muscles and giving you a better shoulder workout.

Proper Form:

Begin in the seated, upright position on a bench with the dumbbells positioned out in front of your shoulders

Your palms should be facing your body with your elbows under your wrists

Start the movement by beginning to move your elbows out to your side

While you are still moving those elbows out, begin to press the dumbbells up vertically overhead

Your elbows should only go out to a point slightly behind your ears

When your arms are pressed completely straight overhead, you have completed the concentric part of the movement

To return to the start position, you must completely reverse the movement from end to beginning until you have returned to where you began the movement

Tips:

When pressing, place more emphasis on the horizontal abduction of the shoulder (moving your elbows from the midline out to your side) than the pronation (outward turning) of the forearm